There was no doubting the quality of Agnieszka Radwanska’s performance in
reaching her first grand slam final, but a worrying question remained over
her health.

The Pole’s straight-sets eclipse of Germany’s Angelique Kerber was all the more remarkable for the fact that she has been suffering all week with a heavy cold. No sooner had she booked her place in the ladies’ final against Serena Williams than she had to curtail her press conference due to a coughing fit.

Not a trace of sickness could be detected in Radwanska’s 6-3, 6-4 filleting of Kerber, which captured all the hallmarks of verve, guile and trickery that have elevated her to third in the world rankings. But afterwards she struggled, out of discomfort rather than emotion, drinking copious amounts of water to soothe her dry mouth and then dashed out of the room mid-interview.

Radwanska could do without any form of respiratory complaint, given that Williams’ monstrously powerful serving already threatens to knock the wind out of her. She withdrew earlier this week from the doubles competition with sister Urszula, and the decision appeared to enhance her display toute seule as she demolished her close friend Kerber in just 70 minutes in the Centre Court crucible. “This is what I’ve been dreaming about since I was a kid,” she said.

For the 23 year-old such dreams are rooted firmly in reality, in light of her junior title on the same Wimbledon stage aged 16. It has taken seven years for the significance of that breakthrough to be translated into her first tilt at the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Before the coughs consumed her, she said: “It seems like it was only a year ago. I will do everything in my power to hold a trophy here again.”

This understated girl from Krakow has become Poland’s first grand slam finalist for 73 years, since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska was runner-up in the Wimbledon ladies’ singles in 1939.

She said: “I’m just very happy that I can be the second one at Wimbledon in the final. I will try and we will see.”

Radwanska and Williams have faced each other just twice before, the last time at Wimbledon in the fourth round in 2008, when the American prevailed for the loss of only four games.

On Thursday, Radwanska survived a ragged start to break at 5-3 in the first set after two backhand errors by Kerber. In the second, the German sent a cross-court backhand wide to hand a second and decisive break to the rising Polish star.